Cirque du Freak: Heir of a Prince
by keacdragon
Summary: Redoing my story! This one is much better I promise Please read! It's time for the vampire princes to select heirs. And Darren is on the list for possible selection, but why is Larten not agreeing with it? Movie/book based! Read and Review please! Better summary inside!
1. Chapter 1

**I am redoing my story, I messed it up the first time.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything...  
**

**Summary: Starts as Darren and Crepsley return from the theater with Rebecca, follows movie to the end except for a view changes and then goes off on its own. Family/Love/Romance/Hurt/Comfort/Grief/Friendship R&R please!  
**

* * *

**Prologue  
**

**"I can flit now..."  
**

xxx

"...Just like a real vampire."

Those were the last words from Crepsley Darren heard before Rebecca hopped on the vampire's back...and Darren took off.

xxx

Flitting almost felt like flying, Darren only stopped once, just under halfway to the Cirque camp to make sure he was going the right way. Smiling as he literally slid to a stop a few yards from the bridge, he chuckled once he realized Crepsley was far behind him.

Exactly three minutes later the older Vampire stopped at the tree line, setting Rebecca down and making sure she was steady on her feet.

"Cool Darren."

The half-vampire smiled at his "girl-friend", but earned a glare from his mentor.

"Next time you pull a stunt like that, you'll be running laps from Mexico to Canada."

xxx

"Oh Larten..."

Truska's silky voice broke his thoughts as he sat in his tent, mind idly busy as he tried not to let the night catch up with him.

"You did it, you stuck your neck out for him." Her hands on his shoulders as she stood beside the chair eased the heavy feeling in his heart, the war vanished from his mind.

"You'd think a vampire would know better than to stick his neck out."

She hummed slightly as he looked away, her fingers combing through his fiery hair.

"I am proud of you."

Larten grunted a little, sighing as she gently rubbed his neck before tugging his arm.

"Come, it's time."

xxx

"All those who vote in making Darren a member of the Cirque, raise your hand."

Darren shifted next to Rebecca, returning her smile nervously as her hand was among the first to raise.

"One hand Evra." Loaf head called as he counted for Mr. Tall, the snake boy muttering under his breath.

The half-vampire looked to his mentor on the other side of the crowd, standing with Madame Truska and watching patiently. Darren almost glared at the vampire when he didn't raise a hand to vote, but then again it may have been because the vote would be taken as biased.

"It's done," Mr. Tall spoke up after Loaf Head nodded to him, "He will stay!"

Members cheered and either shook Darren's hand, hugged him, or clapped his shoulder, Rebecca stayed the longest, only leaving when Truska approached.

"Larten is at the bridge, I think you should go talk to him."

xxx

Crepsley was leaning on the bridge railing, staring out at the river as Darren walked closer.

"So? We get to stay."

His mentor didn't speak until he too was leaning on the bridge railing.

"Not for long I'm afraid."

The tone in his voice nearly bothered the half-vampire, but the distant look told him not to ask Crepsley what he meant.

"You know Crepsley, it's ok...It's weird, I spent so much time wishing that none of this would have happened, and we would never have been to the Cirque in the first place..."

Darren turned to sit on the railing as Larten met his gaze, patiently listening.

"But now I can't really imagine my life happening any other way."

Crepsley nodded a little, a faint grim barely gracing his scarred face.

"Dawn's coming...I had something made for you, it's in your tent. A little gift."

Darren nodded, turning as his mentor headed back to camp before pausing briefly to turn.

"And it's _Mr_. Crepsley."

xxx

Larten smiled faintly as he tucked Octa into her cage, the spider scuttled sluggishly to a corner and crouched, most likely to sleep and let her leg heal. The vampire rolled his stiff shoulders, glancing over to his tent door and making sure it was shut and the latch across, signalling others to leave him alone.

Only a very select few would dare disturb him at this point. Darren would abide by the warning unless it was an emergency or after midnight the next night, Truska...she had already seen him and was now most likely in bed herself. Larten shrugged out of his black shirt, glancing over at the mirror to inspect the bruising on the upper left side of his chest where one of Steve's knives had gone in.

The bruise was extremely tender as he lightly prodded it, making him wince faintly, the slice in the muscle had already sealed once Murlough removed the knife, and the skin had sealed with spit...

But the bruise wouldn't fade for a couple days, Crepsley sighed softly, fully removing the shirt before pulling on a light weight white one, the softer fabric wouldn't aggravate the wounds.

Over slightly from his tent he could hear the tell tale soft creak of a coffin opening, Darren had found his gift.

".._.Speakers...tasty._.."

Larten smirked, listening closely until he heard a second creak as the coffin lid shut, Darren had gone to bed.

The older vampire did the same, relaxing into the soft padding in the box as he drifted to sleep.

xxx

_"Good...right in the heart..."_

_Murlough's voice was already straining and garbled from blood filling his lungs._

_"Oh so fair and foul a day I have not seen...My people aren't weak like yours...They will avenge me Crepsely..."_

_The vampaneze chuckled as he started to fall back, "The truce...one hundred years...is over...the war begins."_

_Murlough collapsed to the theater floor, dead. The sound of his body hitting the old carpet was nothing compared to the pounding dread in Larten's heart._

_He fell to on side, the pain in his leg not allowing him to stay kneeling any longer._

_Desmond Tiny's voice rang in his ears...it was a thundering roar...he couldn't understand it..._

...

Larten jerked upright, smacking his head against the coffin lid before it opened on its own, letting in the dull light of dawn.

The chest wound still ached, but his leg bothered him the most, stretching it out, he gave up sleeping in the what used to be comfortable coffin. Larten grabbed his cloak from the wardrobe, tugging it over his shoulders and sitting at his desk. Darrn hadn't been in yet to do his chores, the cover was still on Octa's cage and the thick curtains hadn't been moved, the half-vampire was supposed to move them early evening to let in starlight once the sun set.

The vampire sighed softly, shifting in his chair further before setting his head on his arm that rested on the desk, the cloak protected him from any light that would slip inside, and drowned enough of the day noise of the cirque out that he fell back to sleep quickly.

xxx

xx

xxx

Darren was nearly completely silent as he lifted the double sided latch to Crepsley's tent, slipping inside quickly to the comforting dark room. While daylight didn't hurt him, his head was hurting today from the onslaught of going from drinking no blood to all of sudden doing so and quickly burning up its effects.

Mr. Crepsely was sound asleep at his desk, his cloak had slipped from his face and a beam of sunlight was already turning the pale skin an angry red.

The half-vampire moved the cloak to cover his mentor before adjusting the heavy curtains to seal the tent in darkness.

Octa was waiting for Darren when he opened the cage, she easily moved to sit on his shoulder, even with her leg in a splint as he cleaned the old webs from the cage and placed in fresh flies and a worm to her dish. At this point the spider should have crawled down his arm and gone back to her cage.

The spider had other ideas.

...

Crepsley woke to the desk moving, and Madame Octa sitting right in front of him.

"Ouch...aahhh...come on..."

Larten shifted to look under his desk, finding Darren flat on his stomach and caught on the wood.

"Octa...come on where are you...shoot..."

The vampire sighed, rolling his eyes before standing once Octa was safe on his shoulder. Darren was trying to undo his jacket from were the leather collar had gotten snagged on a nail, and was failing.

Darren grunted when Crepsley lightly pressed a foot on the back of the half-vampire's calf, hands gripping his belt loops after one set of fingers easily freed the jacket. The full vampire easily pulled Darren out from under the desk, turning once his head was visible to put Octa in her cage.

"Hi Cre-Mr. Crepsley."

He only received a muffled grunt as his mentor moved to sit across the tent.

"What are you doing up?"

"Currently making sure you don't do something stupid." Crepsley said softly as he rubbed his eyes.

"Besides that."

"Couldn't sleep, at least in my coffin...sat out here and fell asleep apparently."

Darren nodded, moving behind his mentor to grab a bottle from his stores, pouring a portion of the contents into a glass and handing it to the vampire.

"Thanks..."

Larten downed the drink slowly, watching his assistant pick up his discarded shirt, checking for the tear from the knife and sticking it over his shoulder to take to Rebecca. While he could be stubborn and hot headed, Darren did his work diligently, checking over himself before leaving the tent, returning with the vampire's cleaned jacket, the lapels were pressed down to cover the stitching that patched the knife hole.

Crepsley shifted to lean back in the high backed chair, Darren's movements were becoming dull and meaningless in his ears as he let his chin drift to rest on his chest. The last thing he was truly aware of was Darren spreading his cloak over him before the tent doors slid open and shut.

xxx

Larten was in the middle of buttoning his vest when Darren entered early that evening, stumbling a little and looking tired. He may have been trying to hide it, but his stomach rumbled angrily.

"When's the last time you ate?"

"Uhh...since I 'died'...I think..."

Crepsley couldn't help it, he started laughing, outright howls as he clutched the edge of his desk to keep from falling over.

"You really...are...an idiot...Oh Charna's guts...stupid boy..."

Darren merely glared briefly, settling to lean against the table Octa's cage sat on as his mentor composed himself.

Crepsley grabbed a bottle from his stores, handing it to his assistant, "Here drink this, and then you'll be joining everyone for supper, I'm surprised you didn't figure out sooner you could consume "normal" food."

His assistant ducked his head, taking the bottle and quickly downing the dark red liquid, acting as if he'd done so for years instead of less than twenty-four hours.

"Oh...do me favor, go and find a field mouse or something small for Octa, she needs the extra meat while she's healing."

Darren sighed softly, but left the tent and camp at a fast run, breaking into a flit once out of everyone's way.

Larten waited until he could no longer hear Darren before quickly moving to a chest, pulling out a long leather jacket with traveling pockets, several already had needed supplies in them.

Several Cirque members were carrying something as well, all meeting in front of Truska's tent where Rhamus and Alexander were setting down a large, new chest.

"Think he guesses Larten?" Hans smirked as he handed Corma a bundled gift, she and Truska were packing the trunk.

Larten shook his head, easing the lid compartment open on the chest and tucking the jacket in it, smiling when Alexander stuck a pair of knives in with a leather vest.

"Darren has no idea."

xxx

Darren stuck the mouse in Octa's cage, watching as she dangled above it before pouncing.

"Darren!"

The half-vampire sighed, rolling his eyes before walking away to find his mentor and answer the yell.

When he reached the "kitchen" area, Crepsley was standing with Truska and the rest of the Cirque members, all waiting for him.

"Surprise!"

Within seconds, Darren was swarmed with his new family, even Mr. Tall had a faint smile on his face. Rhamus allowed the hubbub for a few minutes before calling for everyone to get food before it went cold.

The half-vampire was soon sandwiched between Evra and Rebecca, everyone laughing and talking over one another while they ate the thickly made lasagna.

Darren glanced up briefly as Crepsley, the vampire sitting on the ground instead of a log, leaning against the wood with his legs stretched out in front of him. The old vampire seemed perfectly content, caught in the middle of a heated talk with Hans Hands while Truska sat between them, laughing at their antics. The assistant could see the faint shadows though in his mentor's eyes, something was bothering him.

"Darren! I...I mean we...I mean the cirque..."

Corma laughed as she helped Gertha out, "We all wanted to officially welcome you to the Cirque, it's a tradition with all of us since mot of the time a new member comes with little to nothing with them."

The fire dancer freak stepped up, smirking at Darren before lighting her finger on fire and scorching Darren's name into the wood chest.

_D. Shan_

_Vampire Assistant_

"The bottom line can be altered when you get older." Truska teased before she opened the chest with a flourish, revealing the gifts within.

The next several minutes were filled with members smiling and laughing as Darren dug through the chest, some had to explain the gag or reason for the gifts.

Alexander pulled his gift of the twin blades out, showing Darren them and explained the maintenance for the weapons; he turned when he put them back while Darren was distracted, glancing at Larten.

The vampire shook his head, he wouldn't be getting up or speaking.

The makeshift celebration ended close to midnight, most of the cirque still had to get up in the morning to practice or work.

Mr. Crepsley helped Darren moved the trunk to the full vampire's tent, there wasn't room in Evra's and when the Cirque moved it would have to stay with Crepsley's belongings anyway.

Darren had changed from his worn t-shirt to a more "gothic" style one earlier, the elbow forearm length sleeves fitting his arms nicely with the muscle tone he was developing from chores and lessons.

While the half-vampire was distracted by checking Octa, Crepsley removed his gift from its compartment, gently flicking the folds loose to reveal the black leather.

The vampire eased it onto his assistant's shoulders when he turned, nodding when the bottom of the jacket reached Darren's knees.

"Fits you well, good thing you'll be able to wear it for awhile before out growing it."

Darren looked up from examining the jacket to meet Mr. Crepsley's gaze, the vampire lightly resting his hand's on the assistant's shoulders as he looked him over.

"Thank you."

Larten nodded, not fully meeting his assistant's eyes before turning and heading to his desk.

"Why are the waterfowl indigenous to Northern America considered poisonous and how is the taste different?"

Darren kept the jacket on as he sat in the chair in front of the desk, getting comfortable for a night of discussions.

Lessons had begun.

* * *

**Hi! Review please?**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am redoing my story, I messed it up the first time.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything...  
**

**Summary: Starts as Darren and Crepsley return from the theater with Rebecca, follows movie to the end except for a view changes and then goes off on its own. Family/Love/Romance/Hurt/Comfort/Grief/Friendship R&R please!  
**

* * *

**Chapter One  
**

**"Don't worry! I'll stay indoors!"  
**

xxx

Larten's tease to Truska about Thunderstorms ended up coming true. Three nights after Darren was voted into the Cirque the skies grew cloudy a few hours before dawn, cutting off the two vampires' feeding early to make it back to camp before the rain began.

They made it to their tents just in time, the skies burst open with a down pour like no other.

Nothing could be done that day, or for the next six, everyone was quite happy to stay inside tents and sleep or waste the time away, food was easy to come by, the tents were all close enough that you could slip back and forth between all of them. The only one suffering was Mr. Crepsley, his bottles were starting to dwindle and hunting in this weather was too dangerous to get through the woods back to a town. Corma was able to help, growing limbs meant forming fresh blood, and the vampire was able to keep his stores lasting a bit longer when the lady offered him a meal one night to stave off hunger. Things could be managed in the storm.

Until the river started to flood.

xxx

Darren awoke before Evra did, the snake boy keeping his serpent close to him since the power had gone out yesterday. The water outside sounded different to the half vampire.

The river was over flowing.

...

The half-vampire hadn't been outside more then ten seconds and he was soaked to the bone, after thirty seconds Mr. Tall was yelling for him to help Alexander pack up his belongings.

That had been two hours ago.

xxx

Darren growled as he slipped on the mud, shoving Rhamus' bus as hard as he could, the rear tires had gotten stuck in the mud. The tires swirled mud up into the air, splattering Darren even more than he already was, but the bus began to move, pulling onto the harder ground and into the line.

The Cirque's winter camp could survive if the river flooded, as long as the members weren't present. This camp was the only permanent set up, otherwise the cirque moved all over the Western Hemisphere.

The half-vampire cleared the muck from his eyes, glancing around the best he could in the nearly pitch black down pour. Truska hopped out of a large van parked in front of Crepsley's tent, waving for Darren to come over.

She pulled him to one side, rolling up her sleeve. "Drink some of my blood, you need to know how to pack up Larten's tent."

"Truska-"

"Now!"

Darren sighed, cutting the woman's wrist and taking a few sips, Truska had forced herself into a trance, and her memories flooded into Darren's head...

...

Vampire assistant's were meant to take care of their mentor's...Darren ended up going the extra mile that night or day...whichever it was...by packing most of Crepsley's tent.

Darren was practically yelling as he struggled to shove the last chest into the van, there was plenty of room...

But he was too tired...weak...

The thunder pounded in his head as he tried to get a better grip on the chest, he had to hurry, the caravan would leave within a few minutes and Darren had to drive. Alexander, Hans, Darren, and Eric (a human worker) had carried the coffin with the sleeping Crepsley and locked it into place, and the rain wasn't letting up anytime soon.

The half-vampire began to loose his footing, his feet sliding out from under him and the chest moving to fall on top...

When a solid warm body slid behind him, bracing the teenager and easily shoving the chest into place before holding on tight to Darren while shutting the door to the van.

Darren didn't realize who it was until the strong arms had guided him over to the side and lifted him into the van's cab. Mr. Crepsley wrapped Darren in his cloak, rubbing his arms to start to get him warm.

"Dry off and start the van, the keys are in the ignition."

The assistant nodded, watching as his mentor shut the door and dashed off into the storm.

The vehicle rumbled but started after a moment, the head lights shining oddly in the rain. Crepsley dashed to the van twice more before getting in himself, once with the nearly frozen Evra and the next with Rebecca. Her trailer was stuffed with Evra's belongings and his snake to keep the reptile safe.

Crepsley barged in suddenly, panting and trying to wipe his eyes clear of water with equally soaked hands. The vampire was shaking from cold as he struggled to pull his soaked shirt over his head, finally just tearing it off and throwing it on the floor of the van. Darren had already jumped over the seats, digging through a bag for fresh clothes for both vampires and finding blankets for Rebecca and Evra.

Larten nodded a quick thanks as he yanked the shirt on, grumbling at his soaked hair before putting the vehicle in drive and moving into the line.

Within minutes of the Cirque getting onto a hard road, the river had flooded its banks, filling the camp with several inches of water as it gushed free.

They had just made it.

xxx

Darren only lasted half an hour on the road before slumping against the door...sound asleep to the hum of the vehicle. Rebecca didn't even last five minutes, Evra following her soon after.

The half-vampire knew it had to have been over eighteen hours later when he awoke, it had been three in the morning when they'd left and there were dark sunglasses on the dash in front of Mr. Crepsley, most likely to protect his eyes during the day of driving in the vehicle. The windows were all tinted nearly black and the windshield had heavy sun visors on them, but even with the protection Mr. Crepsley's pale face was red and inflamed.

"Took you long enough to wake up."

Darren merely shrugged, watching the circus van ahead of them pull into a parking spot of a remote rest area.

Mr. Crepsley sighed softly as he turned off the van, leaning back in his seat and rubbing at his eyes. He looked down right exhausted and in pain as he waited the last five minutes for the sun to fully set.

Rebecca and Evra had already gotten out of the van when Crepsley relaxed a little, resting his head on the cool glass of the window.

"Darren, get me-"

"Right here."

His mentor looked up to see a bottle already held out for him, his assistant sipping from his own. With nod Larten downed it quickly, panting a little from the stretching of his burned face.

Once he knew Crepsley wasn't likely to pass out, Darren hopped out of the van, stretching his stiff limbs and bouncing a bit alongside the blank moving van. Corma was passing out sandwiches and water bottles, laughing and chatting with other cirque members as they enjoyed the peace out of the vehicles. Truska glanced at Darren like he'd done something wrong.

"You let him drive in the sunlight! What is wrong with you?!"

Darren bit his tongue as the woman lashed out slapping the back of his head before a pair of arms restrained her.

"Truska enough."

Larten let her go once she calmed down, a rather frustrated look on his face before he grabbed his assistant's shoulder, tugging him away from the parking lot and towards the woods.

"Breathe."

Darren sucked in air as his mentor yanked him into a flit, the two on one another's heels as they dashed through the trees.

The half-vampire found the scent trail first, racing ahead to jump onto the small doe, snapping the neck with a solid twist, luckily his nails didn't dig in this time.

Crepsley was a few second behind him, coming to a stop tiredly and panting for air.

"Nice...work..."

Darren nodded before backing up a few steps as if to steady himself, faking he was out of breath and gesturing to the deer. His mentor nodded, eyes locked on the deer as he kneeled before slitting an artery, drinking the warm blood like he hadn't in days. The half-vampire waited patiently, it was easier to let his mentor feed and recover his strength before Darren did, that way Crepsley could guard him while he ate.

Less of a mess that way.

Crepsley stood, face a more normal pale color before he scanned the clearing they were in.

"Next time, try for a bit more secluded, a smaller clearing, or the edge of one so you can still see but are not out in the open. More exposed-"

"More can see you."

Larten gave a faint grin, nodding as Darren finished his meal before snapping the doe's spine to make it easier to carry, the wolf man might as well have fresh meat.

xxx

After cleaning up, the Cirque was on the move again, this time Truska drove for Larten so he could sleep. Rebecca had moved to Gertha's van to give Darren a seat.

The full vampire was curled against the passenger side window, coat tucked up to his forehead as he slept. Darren had grabbed a book from one of Crepsley's bags, now sitting back and losing himself within the pages of the old novel. Evra was dozing off with headphones over his ears, his faint breathing almost in time to Crepsley's soft snores.

"Darren?"

"Yeah?"

Truska glanced into the rear view mirror, "Nice work with loading everything up, the last assistant Larten had fled the first time they had to do anything actually hard."

"Last assistant?"

"Mhm. Abandoned little half-vampire, in his twenties but still young and ignorant. Larten went crazy looking for him, a vamapaneze had drained him dry, no one cared about a young half-vampire. Larten doesn't get upset deeply easily, but losing that assistant hurt him, when he came back with you I almost didn't want you to stay, the longer you're around him the more attached he gets, and the more it will hurt if something happens to you."

Darren was silent, looking to his sleeping mentor, the vampire was gruff and withdrawn, but he had risked his life and gotten stabbed so Darren would live.

"He does care..."

* * *

**I hate the ending...please don't kill me...  
**


End file.
